February 25, 2019

Audit: Guam Memorial Hospital not doing enough to collect delinquent hospital bills

Uninsured patients at Guam Memorial Hospital owe the hospital tens of millions of dollars, but hospital employees responsible for collections spend only about 1 percent of their time trying to collect, according to the Office of Accountability, which released an audit Monday on the hospital’s billing and collections for “self-pay” accounts.

Collections employees instead spend about 99 percent of their time on “non-collection tasks,” such as answering calls and concerns from patients and visitors, the report states.

The report concludes that GMH does not follow the law, rules or regulations when it comes to billing and collecting from self-pay accounts, and the failure to collect that money may affect the hospital’s ability to provide quality patient care.

The hospital’s credit and collection supervisor and staff should be formally trained and given targets for collections, according to the OPA, which gave four other recommendations as a result of the performance audit.

Read more: https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2019/02/24/audit-guam-memorial-hospital-employees-uninsured-patients-bills/2975193002/

February 25, 2019

What is governor's plan to fix GovGuam?

This community needs the governor and her administration to decide which of the recommendations in the recently released transition report it will implement, as well as the plans for making that happen.

The 215-transition report details longstanding problems in government of Guam, and action plans to fix them, such as eliminating some government boards and commissions and consolidating others, improving tax collections, prioritizing spending and upgrading old technology. The aim is to make the government more efficient, accountable and responsive to public needs.

But it still isn’t clear which of the recommendations to help fix GovGuam that the new administration will adopt and implement.

Last Thursday, Adelup stated: "The Leon Guerrero-Tenorio administration continues to review the transition report thoroughly and diligently to determine which recommendations we believe align with our vision of improving the quality of life for the people of Guam."

Read more: https://www.guampdn.com/story/opinion/editorials/2019/02/25/what-governors-plan-fix-govguam-our-view/2976927002/

February 25, 2019

Wutip spares the Marianas

Super Typhoon Wutip, which passed just south of the Marianas over the weekend, barely clipped Guam and did not cause any damage in the CNMI.

According to a press release from the CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, Super Typhoon Wutip continues to move further away from the Marianas.

As of 2pm yesterday, there were no reports of injuries or damage on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.

“There were no reports of injuries as a direct result of Wutip…Public roadways remain clear of debris,” it added.

Read more: https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/wutip-spares-the-marianas/

February 25, 2019

Unions prep to push back against proposed ferry cuts

The Alaska Marine Highway System could be facing up to 253 union job losses under Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed budget, according to Robb Arnold, a member of the Inland Boatman’s Union. The IBU is one of three unions that work with the ferry system.

That job reduction would include 100 jobs in Juneau and 81 in Ketchikan, Arnold said. Arnold said he and other union members learned that this during a meeting with Department of Transportation officials last week.

The ferry system is facing a $97 million cut — 75 percent of its budget — under Dunleavy’s proposed budget for fiscal 2020. The ferry system may only operate seasonally instead of year-round.

AMHS union advocates are gearing up to push back.

The AFL-CIO, a union which represents many state employees, is hosting a rally at the Alaska State Capitol steps next week. Arnold said he and other IBU members have been invited to participate, along with members of the other two ship-side unions: the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots, and the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association.

Read more: https://www.peninsulaclarion.com/news/unions-prep-to-push-back-against-proposed-ferry-cuts/

February 25, 2019

Oil and gas industry 'left harmless' in Dunleavy budget, Democrats say

JUNEAU — Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed cuts to state services have drawn the ire of many Alaskans, but something uncut is drawing attention from the two minority members of the Senate Finance Committee.

Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, and Sen. Donny Olson, D-Golovin, said last week that the governor is leaving the oil and gas industry untouched even as he pursues cuts to education, health care and other state services.

“They’re more than held harmless. They’re actually getting additional money that was not in the original budget,” said Wielechowski.

Wielechowski’s remarks followed similar ones from Olson, who heard Office of Management and Budget policy director Mike Barnhill declare on Feb. 18, “There’s literally no plan that we can put before this committee, some element of it that somebody won’t hate.”

Read more: https://www.adn.com/politics/alaska-legislature/2019/02/24/oil-and-gas-industry-left-harmless-in-dunleavy-budget-democrats-say/

February 25, 2019

Alaska ferries freeze autumn ticket sales amid uncertain future

The Alaska Marine Highway System has stopped selling tickets past September. That’s in response to the governor’s proposed budget that would effectively shut down service later this year.

Gov. Michael Dunleavy’s official biography describes him as arriving in Alaska in 1983 looking for opportunity. His first stop was Ketchikan, the center of Southeast Alaska’s logging industry.

-snip-

“I don’t envision that anytime that there would not be a functional, robust ferry service in Southeast, the panhandle of Alaska,” Dunleavy said.

But his administration is proposing a $96 million cut that would effectively shut down the system.

Read more: https://www.ktoo.org/2019/02/21/alaska-ferries-freeze-autumn-ticket-sales-amid-uncertain-future/

February 25, 2019

Why a wilderness lodge in the middle of nowhere became a magnet for mushers

Located halfway between Cantwell and Paxson on the Denali Highway, The Alpine Creek Lodge has become a popular mushing destination. (Photo by Joey Mendolia)


Along one of the most remote stretches of the state’s road system is a wilderness lodge that’s become thoroughly popular with elite dog-mushers. The spot offers some of the best winter training for long-distance mushers anywhere in Alaska. The fact that there’s also hot food and cold beer, mushers say, just happens to be a bonus.

For a decade, the Alpine Creek Lodge in the middle of the Denali Highway has built a share of its business around being a convenient way station for mushers training their teams along the 135 miles of nearly un-trafficked winter road.

The Alpine Creek Lodge sits at mile 67 of the highway, equidistant from Paxson to the east and Cantwell to the west. From October to May it is technically closed. Which means that during the winter, people transit primarily with sled-dogs or a snowmachine.

During a recent trip to the Alpine Creek Lodge from the Cantwell side, the local borough had recently groomed the trail, scraping it neatly free of drifts or sizable moguls. Besides some small groups of caribou and a half-dozen moose along the way, the hard-packed trail was clear and fast.

Read more: https://www.alaskapublic.org/2019/02/21/why-a-wilderness-lodge-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-became-a-magnet-for-mushers/

February 25, 2019

Senate bill would require UA regents to keep Legislature up to date on program accreditation

On Thursday, the Senate Education Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 53, which would require the University of Alaska Board of Regents to prepare a report for the legislature outlining the accreditation status for university programs. Regents would also have to walk through efforts that the university is taking to maintain accreditation.

Kodiak Republican Senator Gary Stevens, who introduced the bill, says the legislation is a response to the University of Alaska Anchorage’s loss of accreditation for its education department in January. Stevens addressed the university representative who testified before the committee, saying the situation is unacceptable.

“I think it’s a terrible situation to be in. I’m ashamed. I know you are. I know the university president is ashamed that this happened,” Stevens said. “And all we’re saying is, for heaven’s sake, monitor this, and let us know what’s going on.”

The Board of Regents already has to prepare a report every year on how they spend their money, as well as a report every two years on how the university is working to recruit and train qualified public school teachers in the state. SB53 would introduce a third report from the regents, also every two years, due by the 30th day of the Legislative session.

Read more: https://www.alaskapublic.org/2019/02/21/senate-bill-would-require-ua-regents-to-keep-legislature-up-to-date-on-program-accreditation/

February 25, 2019

Gov. Dunleavy abolishes Alaska climate-change commission, removes roadblock for Knik Arm bridge

JUNEAU — Gov. Mike Dunleavy has abolished Alaska’s climate change strategy commission and has removed a procedural roadblock for several major construction projects, including the Knik Arm Crossing.

Administrative Order No. 309, issued Friday, rescinds seven orders issued by former Gov. Bill Walker, including one from Oct. 31, 2017, that established the state’s climate change strategy and the Climate Action for Alaska Leadership Team. That team drafted a climate change policy and formally submitted it to the governor’s office in September. The plan has not been implemented.

The governor’s office sent letters to the climate change team on Friday saying their work for the task force “has ended.” The state website for the team, including the draft strategy it created, has been removed. The developments were first reported by Alaska Public Media on Saturday.

“I was kind of surprised to get the letter because we had hoped that he would continue the work of this group,” said Molly McCammon, director of the Alaska Ocean Observing System and a member of the group.

Read more: https://www.adn.com/politics/2019/02/24/gov-dunleavy-abolishes-alaska-climate-change-commission-removes-roadblock-for-knik-arm-bridge/

February 25, 2019

'A desperate situation': Mat-Su hospital downsizes planned mental-health facility to bring it online

‘A desperate situation’: Mat-Su hospital downsizes planned mental-health facility to bring it online faster


WASILLA — As emergency rooms from Juneau to Fairbanks grapple with a surge of patients with mental health issues, the only hospital in Mat-Su just downsized a new psychiatric unit — to get it open sooner.

Mat-Su Regional Medical Center along the Parks Highway near Wasilla originally planned a more than $19 million, 36-bed behavioral health facility connected to the emergency department. The new building slated to open in December 2020 represented the first-ever emergency mental health beds for an area the size of West Virginia with a still-growing population of more than 100,000.

Now work is starting next month on a much smaller — and less costly — $4.5 million psychiatric wing inside the hospital with 16 beds scheduled to open this summer.

It’s unclear whether the hospital will go ahead with the larger facility in the future.

Read more: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/mat-su/2019/02/25/amid-a-mental-health-crisis-mat-su-hospital-puts-the-boroughs-first-psychiatric-unit-on-a-fast-track-with-fewer-beds-than-planned/